San Francisco's Top 3 Up-&-Coming Indie Bands

Three bands are killing the game of indie alternative music while breaking hearts at the same time. Edward’s Crossing, French Cassettes, and Hot Flash Heat Wave are native San Francisco groups that are definitely ones to watch out for and see as soon as possible. You can find them playing and spreading happiness at any eclectic venue throughout the Bay and up and down California.

San Francisco | Courtesy Michael Haslim

There are a ton of bands emerging from the San Francisco indie scene that people are dying to discover and see this summer. You can find them playing at The Chapel, Brick and Mortar Hall, 50 Mason Social House, Elbo Room and more all throughout the city. Bands such as O, Spooky Mansion, The She’s, and Ava Luna are filling up the ears of indie alternative listeners in the Bay Area and beyond, but we’ve selected three that stand out. Edward’s Crossing, French Cassettes and Hot Flash Heat Wave are three bands that have a special flair and spark about them, and are killing the game of indie music.

You can find upcoming shows and dates on their Bandcamp and Facebook pages, and see French Cassettes and Hot Flash Heat Wave join forces on July 10th at Brick & Mortar Music Hall in San Francisco.

Edward’s Crossing | Courtesy Daniel Meisel

Edward’s Crossing

Phil, Megan, Garrett, and Greg all met through an amusing Craigslist story, and came together to form this indie folk group. They started playing together about four years ago and have one sweet album out, and getting ready for another. Their name was inspired from a bridge in Nevada where Phil is from, and everything just started moving from there. Watching this band on stage is an unreal experience: they capture you in their spell and the audience and band intertwine and feed off each other’s energy. Their album, Mira, was just released in January, and fans are waiting eagerly for their next. You can catch them playing at just about any eclectic venue, including at The Chapel or 50 Mason Social House in San Francisco. The best thing about this band is their knack of doing everything themselves. Literally everything from their album covers to buttons to their own bookings, you know where to go.

French Cassettes

Growing up in a small town, these four guys quickly found each other with their love of music. The chemistry is undeniable between the band, being that two of the boys are brothers themselves. French Cassettes fan base is strong from the small town of Ripon and rapidly growing, not just through California but through the rest of the West Coast as well. They feed off each other’s energy when they write and play, and their concerts are nothing short of unpredictable. But this is not your typical indie band, it’s hard to pin point exactly what sort of genre they are, bouncing back and forth from pop to alternative. French Cassettes have two awesome albums under their belt and just released a new single on 4/20, which is getting nothing but raving reviews and hyping up their fans for their next album. You can catch them at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, Leo’s in Oakland, The Chapel in San Francisco and music festivals around California.

Hot Flash Heat Wave

Growing up in Davis, these four started by playing garage shows and creating their own music scene. And that is exactly what they are still doing – creating their own music scene. Hot Flash Heat Wave, a name resulted from being pissed off at their moms in the summer heat, finalized their lineup with Adam, Ted, Nathaniel, and Nick and have been working towards their first big break. Their overall goal is to create music that encourages a carefree and creative lifestyle while starting the new summer of love, all year around. HFHW came out with an EP last year and have since been teasing fans by releasing singles for their forthcoming debut album. This band’s indie rock feel has people feeling all sorts of ways, especially since this band is comprised of four men who enjoy denim and long walks on the avenue.